Big portions of gravy-like curry are a unique way to celebrate the breadth of Japan's culinary canon while also saving some cash.

New York City is teeming with Japanese restaurants -- you could spend your days eating in nothing but izakayas, sushi joints, and ramen houses, and it'd take some time to get through all of the different offerings -- and there are a number of places that specialize Japanese curry, a popular dish ubiquitous across the Pacific. Consider Go! Go! Curry, a local mini-chain with outlets that have about as much ambience as a fast food lobby. These counters are good places to spend your hard-earned cash if you're starving, though, because portions are huge: $7.50 gets you the single-sized katsu curry, which plates a breaded pork cutlet fried crispy atop a bed of rice smothered in that rich umami curry. An extra $2 gets you a size upgrade to the triple; we'd rather spend the surplus on a hard-boiled egg.

Restaurants open at a dizzying pace in New York City, and keeping up with what's hot takes some serious cash. If you -- like us -- need the occasional reprieve from a food-forward spending spree, you're likely always on the lookout for cheap eats of high quality. In this space each day, we'll highlight a tasty dish that rings in for less than $10, spotlighting places worth checking out when you'd like to get full while giving your wallet a break. Know of a great affordable bite? Email us.